Fabulous introduction to the world of cruising!

We were just on the Voyager of the Seas' seven night Adriatic Cruise. Ports were Venice, Koper, Ravenna, Bari, and Dubrovnik.

STATEROOM: Grand Suite, worth every penny! The room was very spacious with plenty of closet space. The bathroom had two double sinks and the tub had two retractable wash lines for hanging up laundry. (We traveled with carry-on luggage only so yes, I did have to do a little bit of washing in the sink!) #1324 was on the hump so our balcony was wider than most. We had one lounge sun chair and a table and chair set-up,which we used every morning as we had breakfast on our balcony.

ENTERTAINMENT: very enjoyable shows each evening. The singers were particularly talented. The Elton John tribute was excellent. We also saw the ice show--don't miss this; it's spectacular. Lounge music was good throughout the ship also though I wish the volume wasn't quite as loud. It's hard to carry on a conversation over the music.

DINING: For the all the More
complaints about food that I've read, I set my expectations on the low side and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious all our meals were. We ate at the Main Dining Room. The wait staff was very attentive and really added to the whole dining experience. We had two formal nights and enjoyed seeing everyone in their finery. We ate at Windjammers only once for lunch and there was a good selection. We had such big breakfasts and dinners that we tended to forgo lunch entirely!

PORTS: In Koper we walked off the ship and signed up for an excursion to the Slocjan Caves. I think it was the town of Koper who sponsored this. At 40 euros per person, which included transportation and entrance into the caves, this was an excellent value. The caves are jaw-dropping. If you go, however, you must be fit as there's plenty of walking, some of it up steep stairs.

In Ravenna we bought the 9 euro pass which included about 5 churches. Amazing mosaics! The town itself was pleasant and it was a nice afternoon out.

In Bari we took the local train to Polignano a Mare, a small cliff side village. There's a nice little beach where I collected a fair bit of colorful beach glass, and of course the cliffs are a sight to see. We didn't have enough time to explore Bari properly as we spent the bulk of the day in Polignano.

Dubrovnik! Beautiful city in a beautiful country. We want to go back.

Venice...same opinion as above. Sailing into and out of Venice is wonderful, too. It's extremely easy to get into the city by foot, which we appreciated. You can use the People Mover for 1 euro but you really don't have to if you don't mind walking ten minutes or so. Less

Cabin review: Voyager of the Seas Grand Suite Deck 10 1324

Grand Suite 1324, Voyager of the Seas. This cabin is on the hump so the balcony is wider than most. There's plenty of space and ample storage, both drawers and closets (which had more than enough hangers). Although situated by the elevators, there was no noise. The only fault we could find is that as of October 2011, the upholstery (chairs and loveseat) needs a good cleaning or even a reupholstering. The bed was very comfortable with excellent bed linens. The bathroom tub had two retractable clothes lines if you felt like doing any hand washing.

Port and Shore Excursions

There's a local bus at the port which will take you to the train station downtown. You pay about 70 cents when you board. From the train station we took the local train to the charming town of Polignano a Mare,where we spent the afternoon exploring. Our brother- and sister-in-law, who were on the cruise with us, stayed in Bari for the afternoon. They said they had a wonderful time sightseeing.

The arrival into the port of Dubrovnik is spectacular! Don't miss. We actually did not get to see the city as we had a private excursion arranged. We spent the day exploring the hillside towns north of Dubrovnik and the coastline as well. Croatia is an incredibly beautiful country and very unspoiled. We visited a winery and bought a bottle of cherry brandy. Delicious!

In Venice there's a photo opportunity at every corner. We bought a vaporetto pass and enjoyed "cruising" the Grand Canal and visiting Burano and Murano Islands, the former being our favorite. Being in Burano was like being in a box of crayons. So colorful! We appreciated how easy it was to walk out of the ship and into the city. It's literally a ten minute walk to the train station where you can buy a vaporetto pass if you'd like.